Sam Claflin: 'Becoming a dad made me feel old'

Sam Claflin suddenly felt "old" when he became a father before turning 30.

The Hunger Games actor married Guardians of the Galaxy star Laura Haddock in 2013 and the couple welcomed a little boy in December 2015. It was six months before Sam’s landmark birthday in June 2016, and such a life-changing event had a big impact on the handsome star.

“The actual turning 30 was just another day, but for me having my baby boy was the turning point like, ‘Oh my God, I’ve got responsibility,’ and that was when I was 29,” he recalled to London’s Evening Standard. “So, for me, I felt old before I hit 30.

“I’ve always been desperate to be a dad and have a big family and be surrounded by people I love. I suppose I feel half of my job is done but there’s still more to come, hopefully.”

Becoming a dad also had an impact on his emotional side, with Sam admitting his little one “unlocked” something inside of him.

“It’s a really corny thing to say, I know, but there is another layer of love I never expected,” he smiled. “People think they understand what it would be like to be a dad or mom but truly living that is another level... Something else.”

Sam rose to prominence as hero Finnick in teen franchise The Hunger Games and has also appeared in romantic flicks like Love, Rosie. But his upcoming features, including World War II drama Their Finest and period thriller My Cousin Rachel, see him leave those parts behind.

“I suppose now I’m 30 and a dad I’ve started looking at life in a different way and feel a bit more grown-up,” he said of his new path. “The story of a boy who turns into a man halfway through the film... I’m too old for that now.”